Week 9: Around the ACC

Even though Duke vs. Florida State wasn't as competitive as ACC fans might have hoped, there was a full slate of great games in the conference this weekend, starting with a Thursday bout between Clemson and Wake Forest, and including two thrillers on Saturday.

Clemson 42, Wake Forest 13

As a result of suspensions and illnesses, standout sophomore wide receiver Sammy Watkins had yet to breakout this year. That changed on Thursday night, with Watkins catching eight balls for a school record 202 yards and a touchdown. Quarterback Tajh Boyd also set a school record with his 428 passing yards to go along with five touchdowns. This duo connected for three passes of at least 50 yards, including Watkins’ 61 yard touchdown. Clemson ran out to a 35-0 lead in the second quarter and never looked back.

North Carolina 43, NC State 35

Giovani Bernard threw his name into ring for Heisman consideration, accumulating 304 all-purpose yards and a dramatic 73-yard punt return with 13 seconds left to give the Tar Heels the lead and the victory. Bernard ran for 135 yards and two touchdowns and also totaled eight receptions for 95 yards. Bryn Renner added 358 yards and a touchdown through the air for North Carolina. In a losing effort, Wolfpack quarterback Mike Glennon threw for a career high 467 yards and five touchdowns. NC State held a 35-25 lead going into the fourth quarter, but a Tar Heel touchdown and field goal tied the game and set the stage for Bernard’s heroics.

BYU 41, Georgia Tech 17

Georgia Tech’s disappointing season continued as they were trounced by the visiting Cougars. BYU running back Jamaal Williams accounted for four total touchdowns, picking up 107 yards on the ground alone. BYU’s nationally fourth ranked defense held the Yellow Jackets without an offensive touchdown -- they scored on an interception return and a kickoff return -- and to only 157 yards of total offense. Georgia Tech was 0-for-10 on third down tries and their porous defense gave up more than 40 points for the fourth time in five games, allowing 37 to Boston College in the fifth.

Boston College 20, Maryland 17

The Eagles picked up their first conference win of the season by taking down the Terrapins in dramatic fashion. Johnathan Coleman caught a 14-yard pass from Chase Rettig with just 52 seconds to go in the fourth quarter to seal the win. Rettig threw for 287 yards and two touchdowns in the victory. Because of injuries, Maryland was forced to start fourth string quarterback Caleb Rowe, who threw three interceptions in the defeat. The win snapped a five game losing streak for the Eagles.